Locomotive drive

ABSTRACT

1,002,874. Locomotive axle attachments to vehicles. ATLAS BOLT &amp; SCREW CO. Jan. 10, 1964 [Jan. 18, 1963], No. 1184/64. Heading B7L. A railway locomotive comprises a pair of axles 19 and 20, Fig. 2, each driven through a worm 27 and gear 28, Fig. 3, and coupled together by a universally jointed shaft 32, and each having a driving torque reaction member comprising an upwardly extending lug 37 attached to the gear housing 25, 26 and centred between frame members 38, 39, wear plates 40, 41, 42 and 43 being provided. The lug 37 and wear plates 40 and 41 may be a sliding fit between the wear plates 42 and 43. In a modification, Fig. 5, compression springs 48 are provided in pockets 47 between the frame members 38, 39 and the lug 46. In both cases the lug has free movement laterally and vertically.

May Ill, 1965 E. w. SCHELLENTRAGER 3,182,603

LOCOMOTIVE DRIVE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 18, 1963 mvENToR 06f/vf' SHELLf/vr/r/qaE/Y May 1l, 1965 w. scHELLl-:NTRAGER 3,182,603

LOCOMOTIVE DRIVE Filed Jan. 18. 1963 .2 sheets-sheet 2 United States Patent O 3,182,603 LOCOMOTIVE DRIVE Eugene W.^Sehellentrager, Shaker Heights, hio, assignor to The Atlas Bolt & Screw Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a 'corporation of Ohio l Filed Jan. 1S, 1963, Ser. No. 252,332

9 Claims. (Cl. 10S- 99) This invention relates to vehicles of the type operating on rails, and having incorporated therein a power source effective on one or more axles. As an example of one embodiment of the invention I will discuss industrial type locomotivesof the character used, for example, in coal mining, furnace feeding, plant yard work,` or the like. The invention relates more particularly to stabilizing and equalizing means for the drive mounting, particularly where the same motive force is applied to several axles.

AIn industrial uses such as above mentioned the track is not built to precision standards, both rails may not maintain the same exact horizontal plane even in straightaway stretches, and the curves may be sharp and irregular. In the usual construction the drive unit is most conven- -iently mounted on the driving axle, and there is a reactionary torque effect tending to rotate the drive unit in the opposite direction to the rotation of the axle. Heretofore rather complex linkages have been devised to maintain the sprung portion of the locomotive assembly (including body and frame) in relative stability while permitting the wheels to follow the irregularities of the track.

An object of the present invention is to devise simple and effective means for preventing reaction rotation of an axle drive unit while permitting free-dom of relative movement of the drive unit and axle with respect to the locomotive body in a vertical direction and in a lateral direction.

Stated more succinctly, a further object of the invention is to provide, in a vehicle drive :of the character described, means for restricting forward-rearward swing of the axle drive unit, while permitting vertical and lateral movement.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from a study of the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings showing one embodiment of the invention, in which FIG. l is a side elevational view of a locomotive equipped with my drive unit stabilizer, conventional structural parts and details being omitted to facilitate an understanding of the invention. This is true also of the other figures.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the locomotive frame, without the super-structure, showing two individually driven axles, the view being taken in the horizontal plane of the line 2 2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 4, and FIG. 4 is a top plan view, in a horizontal plane, taken on the line 4--4 of FIG. 3, these two drawings showing somewhat enlarged details of the motive comprising a super-structure or body 10 carried on a rigid frame which includes outer side frame members 11 and 12 which surround and protect moving parts and afford a relatively smooth exterior with no angles or projections. The outer frame has cross members 13 and 14 and end bumpers 15 and 16, all connected into a rigid assembly by welding or otherwise. There is also an inner frame consisting of the parallel beams 17 and 18 which are fixed at their respective opposite ends to the cross members 13 and 14.

The locomotive rests on a pair of axles 19 and 20 being supported resiliently on springs 21 which are interposed 3,182,693 Patented May 11, 1965 ICC between the frame and the axle in any conventional way. The springs are here shown merely in broken line outline in FIG. l as helical compression springs although they might also be leaf springs. The particular type of spring suspension is immaterial. The axles are journalled in bearings 22 and the spring suspension can conveniently be supported on the bearing cages, pillow blocks, etc.

' As best shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 axle 19 has a drive assembly thereon, at its midpoint, in a split housing 25, 26, in which there is enclosed a driving worm 27 meshing with a gear 28 which is fixed with respect to the axle 20. Within the housing a shaft 29 is journalled in bearings 30 and 31. At its right end, FIG. 2, the shaft 29 has a universal drive coupling32, 33 with a corresponding shaft 34 extending from a similar housing on axle 20 but only the drive of axle 19 will be described since the two drives are identical.

Shaft 29 may be rotated from any suitable power source, for example an electric motor or hydraulic driving means.

While the drawing indicates a hydraulic motor mounted directly on the axle it would be possible to mount a hydraulic motor on the vehicle frame, and drive it through a propeller shaft.

Referring again to FIG. 3, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that if worm 27 be rotated in such manner as to rotate axle 19 clockwise, there is a torque reaction tending to turn the assembly including members 25, v26, 27, 30, 31 counterclockwise. The tendency increases with the weight of the total load carried on the axle. In cases of axle mounted drive units such as the present, various expedients have been devised to olset this tendency, such as by various involved leverages opposed to the torque tendency. In the present instance I have solved the difficulty in a direct and simple manner.`

The Vdrive housing 25 is provided with a stabilizing member which in this instance takes the form of a lug or projection 37 extending upwardly from housing 25 into a slot defined by two spaced cross members 38, 39 fixed at their opposite ends to beams 17 and 18. The lug carries a pair of hardened wear plates 40, 41 which have sliding contact with corresponding wear plates 42, 43 carried by the respective cross members 38, 39. In FIGS. 3 and 4 I show an exaggerated operating clearance betweenthe` respectivey pairs of cooperating plates, for simplicity of illustration and an understanding of the operation, but a free-sliding contact on both sides of the lug is most desirable.

The 4lug can move up and down freely as the body and frame of the locomotive respond to iiexure of the spring suspension. As the frame and body sway from side to side, or'as the axle moves slightly angularly to follow curves in the track, the lug can swing from side to side in a plane transverse and perpendicular to the side frame inner members 17, 18 in the direction in which reaction torque attempts to swing the drive unit around the axle, namely in a vertical plane between and parallel to the inner frame members 17 and 18. This permits both drive units to operate from the same power source in stabilized fashion, and completely offsets any torque displacement. The stabilizing device offers an extremely simple solution to what was formerly a diiiicult problem to solve, requiring expensive auxiliary equipment. The cross members 3S and 39 not only serve to restrain the lug 37 but also brace the frame against flexure in operation.

In FIG. 5 I show a slightly modified lug guiding means. In this embodiment there is shown in sectional detail, the cross members 38 and 39, but in the present instance the lug 46 is provided with pockets or recesses 47 to receive compression springs 43 which resiliently resist torque reaction movement while permitting a greater amount of displacement of the lug in a plane between and parallel to the cross members 38 and 39.

In this embodiment also the structure is quite effective as a stabilizing means yet it is simple and inexpensive.

What is claimed is: i

1. A stabilizer for a driving element of a vehicle of the type having a body, a frame member iixed to said body and resiliently carried on a plurality of axles, and a drive gearing carried on at least one said axle for rotation thereof, means connecting said drive gearing to a power source, said stabiiizer includinf7 a guide member iixed on said frame member above said drive gearing, a transverse vertical slot inisaid guide member and aprojecting lug-fixed with respect to said drive gearing and extending slidably upwardly into said vertical slot, saidvertical slot having a transverse'dimension greater than the transverse dimension of said lug and allowing freedom of movement of said lug laterally and vertically within said slot, said slot having a close clearance itagainst movement against the lug forwardly and rearwardly so as to restrain the lug in the direction of locomotive travel.

2. A stabilizer for a driving element, of a vehicle of the type having a body, parallel spaced side frame-members xed to said body and resiliently carried on a plurality of axles, and a drive gearing carried on at least one saidV axle and operatively connected to a power source, said stabilizer including a guide member lixed to at least one of said side frame members above said drive gearing, a transverse vertical slot in said guide member and a projecting lug iixed with respect to said drive gearing and extending upwardly into said vertical slot, said vertical slot having a transverse dimension greater than the transverse dimension of said lug and allowing freedom of movement of said lug laterally and vertically within said slot, but restraining movement of said lug in the direction of locomotive travel by reason of there being a close operating iit of the lug in said slot forwardly and rearwardly of said lug.

3. A stabilizer for a driving element of a vehicle having a body, parallel spaced side frame members iixed to said body and resiliently carried on a plurality of axles, and a drive gearing carried on at least one said axle and operatively connected to a power source, said stabilizer including bracing means extending transversely between and iixed to said side frame members above said drive gearing, said bracing means having a vertical slot therethrough, means providing forward and rearward faces defining the forward and rearward limits of said slot, and a projecting lug fixed with respect to said drive gearing and extending upwardly into said vertical slot, there being clearance to provide free sliding movement laterally and vertically in said slot, and there being a close operating contact between said lug and said forward and rearward faces of the slot to restrain movementv of said drive gearing in the direction of locomotive travel.

4. A stabilizer for a driving element of a vehicle having a body, parallel spaced side frame membersV tixed to said body and resiliently carried on a plurality of axles, and operatively connected to a power source, said stabilizer including a pair of bracing members extending transversely between said side frame members, said bracing members being closely adjacent to each other so as to provide therebetween a transverse clearance space, a projecting lug ixed with respect to said gearing and extending upwardly to a sliding fit between said bracing 'd members, said projecting lug eing freely slidable laterally and vertically in said clearance space but being in operative contact with said bracing members forwardly and rearwardly whereby to be restrained against movement in the direction of locomotive travel, so as to prevent reaction torque movement of said driving gearing in a direction opposite to that of driven axle rotation.

5. A stabilizer as deiinedin claim 1 wherein compression spring means is interposed between front and rear portions of the lug andthe adjoining slot walls.

6. A stabilizer for a drivingelement of a locomotive having a body, a frame member fixed to said body and resiliently carried on a plurality of axles, a respective drive gearing carried on eachV of said axles for rotation thereof, a universal drive connection operatively uniting the saidv drive' gearings to each other, means operatively connecting said single power source to each said drive gearing, said stabilizer including two respective guides carried on vsaid frame member, one above each said drive gearing, a respective transverse slot in each said guide, a respective projecting lug fixed with relation to each said drive gearing and extending upwardly into the respective slot, each said lug having a smaller transverse dimension than its respective slot thereby providing clearance to provide freedom of movement of each said lug laterally and vertically within its respective slot and there being a close operating contact between the lug and its respective slot forwardly and rearwardly, so as to prevent reaction torque movementl of said driving gearing in a rotational direction opposite to that of driven axle rotation.

7. A stabilizer as defined in claim 6 wherein each said drive gearing is provided with' a housing fixed with respect to said gearing, and wherein each said lug'is fixed to its respective housing and extends upwardly into its respective slot.

8. Vehicle drive means comprising a frame, a plurality of axles, means resiliently mounting said axles to said frame, a drive gear housingcarried on 'at least one of said axles, drive gearing carried by said housing for rotation of said one axle, means connecting said drive gearing to a power source, a guide member fixed to said frame', means providing a pair of spaced, parallel surface portions deiining a transverse vertical slot in said guide member, a'lug carried by said housing and projecting into 'said slot, there being a slidable it between said lug and said pair of surface portions thereby affording free lateral and vertical movement of said lug and housing but restraining them against substantial forward and rearward movement in the direction of locomotive travel.

9. Vehicle drive means as deiined in claim 8 wherein compression spring means'are interposed between said lug and each said surface portion whereby said lug and said housing are resiliently restrained against substantial forward and rearward movement.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,916,469 7/33 Fageol et al. 10S- 119 1,947,683 2/34 Townsend 10S-82 2,126,668 8/38 Ruth 10S-82 2,354,522 7/44 Kjolseth 10S-82 2,913,998 11/59 Lich 10S-194 LEO QUACKENBUSH, Primary Examiner.

ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Examiner. 

1. A STABILIZER FOR DRIVING ELEMENT OF A VEHICLE OF THE TYPE HAVING A BODY, A FRAME MEMBER FIXED TO SAID BODY AND RESILIENTLY CARRIED ON A PLURALITY OF AXLES, AND A DRIVE GEARING CARRIED ON AT LEAST ONE SAID AXLE FOR ROTATION THEREOF, MEANS CONNECTING SAID DRIVING GEARING TO A POWER SOURCE, SAID STABILIZER INCLUDING A GUIDE MEMBER FIXED ON SAID FRAME MEMBER ABOVE SAID DRIVE GEARING, A TRANSVERSE VERTICAL SLOT IN SAID GUIDE MEMBER AND A PROJECTING LUG FIXED WITH RESPECT TO SAID DRIVING GEARING AND EXTENDING SLIDABLY UPWARDLY INTO SAID VERTICAL SLOT, SAID VERTICAL SLOT HAVING A TRANVERSE DIMENSION GREATER THAN THE TRANSVERSE DIMENSION OF SAID LUG AND ALLOWING FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT OF SAID LUG LATERALLY AND VERTICALLY WITHIN SAID SLOT, SAID SLOT HAVING A CLOSE CLEARANCE FIT AGAINST MOVEMENT AGAINST THE LUG FORWARDLY AND REARWARDLY SO AS TO RESTRAIN THE LUG IN THE DIRECTION OF LOCOMOTIVE TRAVEL. 